Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Winter 2008/2009 | Page 5

This year marked Subaru Canada’s
return to rallying in Canada after a
three-year hiatus. And what a return
it was!
Subaru Canada enlisted multi-time
Canadian and North American rally
champion Patrick Richard to return to the
driver’s seat and compete in the 2008
Canadian National Rally Championship
Series. Subaru Canada also partnered
with Richard’s performance race shop,
Rocket Rally Racing, to build two new
2008 WRX STI race cars.

TARGA
THE ULTIMATE
MOTORSPORT

ADVENTURE

Targa Newfoundland is billed as the
“Ultimate Motorsport Adventure” and
Subaru Canada’s second new rally car
started its racing career on the tarmac in
September at the seventh annual running
of Targa Newfoundland.
The brother team of John and Clarke
Paynter debuted the 2008 Subaru WRX
STI and decisively drove their way to first
place in the challenging Modern Modified
division. They also took fifth place overall
in an event that saw some very tough
competition from cars of all makes, models
and modifications. Mike Davenport, our

Working around the clock, the team
finished the first car just in time for the
Rocky Mountain Rally in Calgary in May.
The hard work paid off as the team built
a new 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
that proved both stunning and powerful.
Richard and co-driver Alan Ockwell gave
the car the best possible debut, taking
home first-place honours.
Since then the dynamic duo has
competed with the new Subaru rally car in
the four remaining events on the national
circuit, taking home top points at one and

Subaru Dealer from Orillia, Ontario, also
got in on the action this year, piloting his
1997 Subaru SVX in his first ever Targa.
Targa Newfoundland is a 2,200 km
tarmac rally that takes place over five
days and covers much of the central
and eastern portion of the province of
Newfoundland. It winds its way through
many of the small communities that
dot the magnificent coastline and gives
drivers who enter and drive these windy
roads the thrill of a lifetime. Many come
back year after year, saying it’s the best
race they’ve ever driven.
If you’ve never had a chance to see
Targa and you can’t make the trip out
east, be sure to check your local listings in
the New Year; Targa 2008 will air on TSN
and Speed channels in early 2009.
Visit www.targanewfoundland.com
for more information.

Photo: Cathy Cole

winning the other three rallies outright.
These impressive results have added up
to earn Richard the Canadian Rally Drivers’
Championship for the third time and Ockwell
his first-ever Canadian Rally Championship
for Co-Drivers. But the good news doesn’t end
there, Subaru Canada also won the Overall
Manufacturer’s Championship for 2008.
With such an exciting season now
over, Subaru Rally Team Canada is poised
for another thrilling performance once the
new season kicks off in February 2009.
Check out www.carsrally.ca for more info.

Photos: Cathy Cole

CHAMPIONS

Photo: Cathy Cole

RETURN OF THE RALLY

Photo: Warwick Patterson

Photo: Warwick Patterson

RALLY NEWS

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